Stag Beetle
' Stag beetles' are a group of about 1,200 species of beetles in the family Lucanidae, presently classified in four subfamilies. Some species grow up to over 12 cm (4.7 in), but most are about 5 cm (2.0 in). Description The stag beetle (Lucanus cervus) is arguably the most spectacular looking beetle in Britain; the male looks like something from a prehistoric age. The giant antler-like mandibles are used in courtship displays, and wrestling with other males. Although rather fearsome in appearance, the mandibles cannot be closed with any force. You are more likely to be nipped sharply by the female stag beetle, a smaller insect than the male that lacks the huge jaws. The stag beetle, superficially, appears black all over but, in certain lights, it can be seen to have dark maroon or brown wing cases. The impressive mandibles also have a reddish sheen to them. The wing cases are glossy; the head and thoraxare a dull black. Biology Despite it being such a large and spectacular insect, surprisingly little is known about the habits of the stag beetle. In 1998 the People's Trust for Endangered Species (PTES) invited the public to look for the beetles, asking questions about where they were finding them, the type of wood it was found near, was it eating and so-on. The 'Stag Hunt' revealed that the beetles lay their eggs both in rotting log piles and in the roots of an assortment of rotten trees, including oak, apple, ash and cherry. They seem to have a preference for oak, especially those growing along riverbanks. They also prefer warm places on sandy or light soils, and are now mostly reported from urban and suburban gardens. In fact, seventy percent of the beetles reported were found in gardens. The larvae of the stag beetle live within their rotting logs for up to four years before pupating and emerging as adults at the beginning of the flight season the following year. However, the adults have a much shorter life than the larvae, and only survive for a few months. It used to be thought that adult stag beetles died at the end of the year but, as a result of the survey, it seems some beetles can survive the winter. The main message from the survey was, sadly, that the beetle seems to have declined in numbers greatly, especially in some areas. Range and Habitat The stag beetle is nothing like as common as it used to be, but is still widespread in southern England, especially the Thames valley, north Essex, south Hampshire and West Sussex. It also occurs fairly frequently in the Severn valley and coastal areas of the south-west. Elsewhere in Britain it is extremely rare or even extinct. This beetle is found throughout Europe, and East Asia as far as Japan, although it is rare or declining in some countries. Stag beetles are found in gardens, wooded parks and pasture woodland; anywhere where there is a good supply of dead wood. Category:Insects Category:Carnivores Category:Predators Category:Beetles Category:European Animals Category:Asian Animals